Parenting: As Explained by “Frozen”

Last Christmas, Monica was the happy recipient of the “Frozen” DVD. Not to mention the singing Elsa doll pictured above and a “Frozen” suitcase, pajamas, bathrobe, and pair of slippers…but I digress.

After watching the movie in 20 to 30 minute increments for the past year, I find myself quoting it more than I care to admit. And while “Frozen” is all about love and sisters, there are a few one liners that describe parenting to a T.

This is amazing!

Yes, being a parent is amazing! And so is sleep. During those first few weeks, Alex was waking up every 2 or 3 hours to eat. The first time he slept 4 or 5 hours felt amazing! And I totally walked into the kitchen feeling slightly well-rested and reenacted this scene. Know what else helped me get a better night sleep? Moving baby Alex into his own room and cranking the white noise, at the recommendation of my doctor at my 6 week check up.

MMMM…chocolate!

This is how I feel while our morning coffee is brewing. But we also like to reword this when trying to convince Monica to eat dinner. “What’s that amazing smell? Mmmm…salmon, pasta, etc.”

For the first time in forever…

After being pregnant for 9 months plus a few more weeks while on pain meds, this mama couldn’t wait for her first sip of wine or craft beer! I also felt like singing the praises of sushi because it felt like forever since I enjoyed some.

It’s time to see what I can do, to test the limits…

This one definitely relates to raising a toddler. They try to test the limits on a daily basis! Monica is now in the stage where she pulls a kitchen chair over to the refrigerator or counter to climb up and get what she wants. And don’t even get me started on the bedtime stall tactics.

Let it Go

What’s a “Frozen” blog post without a “Let it Go” reference? Nothing. When it comes to parenting, you’re never going to be perfect (so says the recovering perfectionist). As I said above, your kids just want your love and presence. And guess what? Your toddler or teenager isn’t going to be perfect either. Raising kids is messy: in a spilled milk and emotional sort of way. Give yourself the grace to be imperfect and accept their imperfections. I recently tucked this card into the picture frame on my dresser to remind me that I’m doing great, even when I might think otherwise.

Go away

There are times when I feel exactly the same as Marshmallowwhen he tells Anna, Kristoff, and Olfa to go away. I’m a bit grumpy and need some coffee. Or after a long day, sometimes I just want to be by myself. Don’t tell the kids, but sometimes I spend a few extra moments in the bathroom just to be by myself.

Supply and demand, have a big problem

As an accountant, I always giggle during the Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post scene. Oaken explains that the prices of winter goods are high due to low supply and high demand. When I was first thinking about this post, I was thinking about the supply and demand of parents since both kids seem to want or need one of us at the same time. The other parent simply won’t do. Scarcity also relates to your own time. You might need to let something go in order to focus on what’s really important.

Do you want to build a snowman?

We’re not building snowmen on a daily basis, but we like to reword this song when asking Monica to do something. Toddlers love to exert their independence and feel like they have some control, so we’ll offer a couple options. For example, when it’s time to get dressed in the morning, we’ll offer an orange or blue shirt to wear. On the weekends, we might offer French toast or pancakes for breakfast. Does is it always work? No, but it makes the morning routine a little more entertaining.

Do you have to go?

During the bridge of “Do you want to build a snowman?” Elsa asks her parents, “Do you have to go?” as they’re leaving for their fateful 2 week trip. While on maternity leave, I had that same anxious feeling when John went back to work and I was at home alone with the baby. I felt unsure of my parenting skills during those fussy times of the day. At least this nugget of wisdom from KellyMom.com helped me know that uncomfortable feeling is normal:

Do know that it is normal for you to be “beside yourself” when your baby cries: you actually have a hormonal response that makes you feel uncomfortable when your baby cries.

Did I have a mild case of post partum depression? Maybe, but getting out of the house, exercising, meeting other moms, and getting some extra help definitely helped. Yes, I still feel a little anxious when I’m solo parenting both kids, but every day gets a little easier.

Now that “Finding Nemo” is the movie du jour, I’m sure I’ll have a few thoughts on that one in a few months ;)